Sometimes it is necessary for a rock band to abandon their original genre and incorporate new elements to help further their success. The music industry has seen artists like Ronnie James Dio leave the band Rainbow in hopes of elevating his sound, and through Black Sabbath and his own band, Dio, he achieved it. Other times a band is forced to change, as AC/DC had to when they needed to find a new lead singer, but went on to release their biggest album ever. Then there are bands like Green Day whose sound doesn't change much, but it continually sharpens, transforming something fit for a club, into something suitable for a stadium.
Whatever the case may be, many bands evolve over the course of their careers with the hope of reaching the biggest stages possible. When it pays off, it can help launch the careers of some of the biggest bands ever, such as Journey, Bee Gees, and Fleetwood Mac. There are even instances today where bands like Bring Me The Horizon and Falling In Reverse are vying to get to those top spots, so they are taking every necessary step to do so. No matter the reason, some changes not only altered the trajectory of bands, but ultimately, music as a whole.
10 Judas Priest
Blues Rock - Heavy Metal
After forming in 1969, Judas Priest released their first album, Rocka Rolla, in 1974. This initial album was a bit different for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band, as it contains elements rooted in blues rock. They would only spend one album significantly exploring this genre, and by the time their sophomore album, Sad Wings of Destiny, arrived in 1976, the band was beginning to center their focus on the heavy metal sound.
Things truly clicked for them in 1980 when their iconic album, British Steel, was released. This record features some of their biggest tracks ever, including "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight." With over 50 million albums sold, it's clear they have discovered their sound. The latest album from the band arrived in 2024, and although it's nearly 50 years after they fully transitioned to heavy metal, the band is still conquering the genre.
9 The Beastie Boys
Hardcore Punk - Rap Rock
Before there were ever the Beastie Boys, there were The Young Aborigines. The original concept was for them to be a hardcore-punk group. For a few years, this was exactly what they did, until everything changed in 1983. The first hip-hop-based track they released was "Cookie Puss," and to their surprise, it took off. During this time, they even had the opportunity to play with Madonna. The success was so significant it led them to sign with the newly formed Def Jam Recordings.
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From there, the Beastie Boys focused all their energy on rap rock and produced their debut album, Licensed to Ill. Following that, they occasionally shifted their focus solely to hip-hop at times, and bounced back and forth by incorporating rap rock across their final seven albums. Sadly, with the death of MCA (Adam Yauch) in 2012, they have disbanded, but they will always be ed for their rap rock masterpieces like "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" and "Brass Monkey."
8 Bee Gees
Pop - R&B
The 1970s marked the era of disco and soul. A lot of successful bands explored different sounds during this period, and one of them was the Bee Gees. Throughout the '60s and into the '70s, the band was primarily known for their pop sound. However, in 1974, when they released their 12th studio album, Mr. Natural, the band began incorporating elements from the R&B genre into their music. By 1975, a new sound was established with their record, Main Course.
Not only did Main Course go on to become a gold record, but the Bee Gees' next two albums performed even better. Both Children of the World and Spirits Having Flown became platinum-selling, and they solidified the band as prominent performers of the disco era. To further cement their legacy, the band received critical acclaim for their work on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack with their hit "Staying Alive." The Bee Gees demonstrated that adapting to the times can do a band wonders.
7 Falling In Reverse
Emo - Rap Metal
Throughout his career, Ronnie Radke has been regarded as one of the most talented vocalists in any genre. He has released incredible work along the way, including the 2006 Escape the Fate album, Dying Is Your Latest Fashion. For the emo genre, which features a mix of hardcore punk and post-hardcore, this record became an anthem. After his time in Escape the Fate, Radke went on to create Falling in Reverse, with whom he would release the 2011 record, The Drug in Me Is You.
Throughout his career, Ronnie Radke has been regarded as one of the most talented vocalists in any genre.
The 2011 release was well-received and has become gold-certified, but the emo sound from it is not the sound Falling in Reverse would continue with. Through various lineup changes, Radke kept the band going, but it took thirteen years after that first album to finally find a true calling. With the release of Popular Monster in 2024, Radke introduced an incredible amount of rap metal, and it is a sound that absolutely works. Radke took this band from playing clubs, to now headlining festivals, and performing on the biggest stages. In less than a year, the album has already gone gold, proving that Radke has found the right sound for the band.
6 AFI
Harcore Punk - Post Hardcore
In a lot of ways, music turned dark in the 1990s. Everything became much edgier with the major rise of grunge and nu-metal. AFI was an up-and-coming band at that time, but they struggled to find an identity. They released four records in the '90s and then another in 2000, but it wasn't until 2003 that everything changed. The band shifted from a focus on hardcore punk to a focus on the post-hardcore genre.
The post-hardcore genre allowed bands to expand on hardcore punk, and AFI did just that. The 2003 album, Sing the Sorrow, signaled a new era for the band. This record would achieve platinum status, but it wasn't the only one, as the follow-up 2006 release, Decemberunderground, did as well. This album featured the band's biggest song to date, "Miss Murder." Since then, the band has slightly veered away from the genre that brought them so much success, but they could always go back to it, as they know how to execute it very well.
5 Goo Goo Dolls
Punk Rock - Alternative Rock
Hailing from Buffalo, NY, the Goo Goo Dolls spent their first two albums in 1987 and 1989 focusing on the punk rock genre. Unfortunately for the band, it wasn't bringing them the notoriety they desired. In 1990, they released Hold Me Up, which incorporated the alternative rock sound they had become known for, but it still wasn't quite enough. They remained persistent with sound through another release in 1993, and then finally everything changed.
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The band's alternative rock sound had caught on when they debuted their 1995 album, A Boy Named Goo. They would continue building on this success with Dizzy Up the Girl in 1998. The album featured the song "Iris," and after that, the band has never looked back. "Iris" was featured in the film City of Angels, it has been streamed over two billion times on Spotify, and it is diamond-certified. Goo Goo Dolls became a staple of alternative rock and demonstrated why persistence is key.
4 Bring Me The Horizon
Deathcore - Alternative Metal
The deathcore genre is an acquired taste. It's extreme in nature with vocal screams and instrumentals that will shake the ground. Bring Me the Horizon began their career with a couple of EPs and a debut album that focused on this genre. Although they excelled at it, it wasn't a sound that would take them as far as they wanted to go. They spent a few more albums refining their sound, before truly breaking through the mainstream.
Their 2013 album, Sempiternal, became the first album to be gold-certified in the United States.
Their 2013 album, Sempiternal, became the band's first album to be gold-certified in the United States. Songs like "Can You Feel My Heart" and "Sleepwalking" propelled them to the next level. Since then, the band has produced three more studio albums with the latest debuting in 2024. The band has become so big it'd be hard to imagine them ever going back to not performing in arenas every night. It's safe to say their decision to move away from deathcore exclusively paid off enormously.
3 Fleetwood Mac
Blues Rock - Pop Rock
With over 120 million albums sold worldwide, Fleetwood Mac is recognized as one of the world's best-selling bands. With statistics like that, it's hard to imagine a time when the band wasn't seen as one of the top acts in the world, but it happened. They spent nine albums searching for a huge break, but it wouldn't truly come until their 10th studio album, Fleetwood Mac, which was the first to include Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks.
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With a new pop rock sound, the band never looked back and followed up the 1975 Fleetwood Mac record with four platinum ones. This included one of the most popular albums of all time, Rumours. Fleetwood Mac's career finished strong with three more albums and their legacy was cemented. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers will always be ed for fine-tuning their lineup and not being afraid to allow it to change their sound for the better.
2 Journey
Jazz Rock - Hard Rock
The early beginnings of Journey saw the band exploring the jazz rock genre; however, with the addition of Steve Perry as the lead singer, the band focused on hard rock. Their first album with Perry, Infinity, arrived in 1978, and with hits like "Wheel in the Sky," Journey was truly put on the map. Their next few albums saw the band create more hits, but it was in 1981 that they released one of the biggest songs ever.
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It was the 1981 Escape record that contained "Don't Stop Believin'." This song has cemented the band as legends as it has now gone 18x platinum and has been streamed almost two and a half billion times on Spotify. Along the way, Journey has faced more lineup changes, but the band continues on with their hard rock sound. Their latest album was released in 2022 and now, with almost 50 years of mainstream success, they've taught everyone why you don't stop believin'.
1 Pantera
Glam Metal - Groove Metal
When Pantera formed in 1981, glam metal was all the rage. Bands like Mötley Crüe, Ratt, and Bon Jovi were all emerging at that time and were perfecting the genre. It only made sense that Pantera would follow suit, and for many years they did. Even after adding Phil Anselmo as their lead singer, the band still stayed on the same path. However, following their 1988 album Power Metal, the band would change forever and the Pantera people was born.
Following their 1988 Power Metal album, the band would change forever and the Pantera people was born.
In 1990, they released Cowboys from Hell and their iconic groove metal sound was established. All four of Pantera's albums in the '90s have gone platinum. The band dominated the decade, and their music was among the greatest of all time. Their final album, Reinventing the Steel, released in 2000, would go gold, but this marked the end of the band.
In an effort to pay tribute to the Abbott brothers, Anselmo and Rex Brown teamed up with Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante and went on tour under the Pantera name in 2022. This tribute continues to this day, and the iconic groove metal sound they adopted in 1990 still rocks the world.